By Erica Robbie
Within the human body, a balance exists between genetic potential and environmental influence. People’s everyday choices affect this dynamic, explains William Sealy Hambright, Ph.D., the scientific director behind Aspen’s first longevity studio. Base State Longevity opened in December to empower the community with more choices, combining applied science with ancient principles to help restore the body’s stasis.
“Our natural state is to feel happy, healthy and grounded,” says Base State founder Jonathan Trivas. “Part of what we’re trying to achieve here is building resilience to maintain our internal equilibrium, or homeostasis, even as external factors change.” Located at 630 East Hyman Avenue, the studio features an abundance of therapies, including cold plunge, infrared sauna, red light, hyperbaric chamber, oxygen concentration, IV and massage—as well as yoga, breath work and meditation. For Trivas, who suffered chronic inflammation and debilitating back pain for nearly 15 years, these practices “completely changed” his life. Now, he hopes to help others learn how to heal.
At the helm of Base State is Trivas and co-founder Chrissy O’Brien, both of whom call Aspen home, and Hambright, who most recently served as principal investigator at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail. While completing his Ph.D. in neurobiology at the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at UT Health San Antonio, Hambright uncovered groundbreaking research on cell death mechanisms and their role in neurodegenerative disease. Hambright believes that aging—and subsequent declines in muscle and metabolic function, energy level and skin health—begins much earlier than most realize. “The time to intervene with lifestyle changes is in our 40s or earlier,” he says. “That’s when we start to see significant biological degeneration.”
He affirms that an individual’s genetic blueprint, combined with scientific insight and holistic measures, holds the secret to longevity. Hambright is leading Base State’s personalized longevity packages with comprehensive blood work that extends well beyond a visit to a primary care physician. With its highly active, health-conscious and aging population, “Aspen is the perfect place for this,” says Hambright.
While Hambright is eager to apply his 20-plus years of lab research into tangible offerings, he is equally excited to see Base State serve as a communal wellness hub in Aspen. “Fostering community and leveraging local experts who know more than us in their respective fields is key,” he says. basestatelongevity.com
